School recognized for its incorporation of technology to provide students with authentic, individualized and transformational learning opportunities

Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School in West Chester is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2018-2021 for its integration of technology into the learning experiences of its students, as well as the professional development of its teachers.

Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership and educational excellence that use technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of technology in learning, teaching and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment.

“We are very proud of the ways we have incorporated iPads and Macs into our classrooms to provide limitless learning opportunities for our students at Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School,” said Joe Rodia, Principal of Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School. “Earning this recognition has been a collaborative effort from our entire school community, including our students, parents and staff, so being named an Apple Distinguished School is truly a shared success.”

The selection of Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School as an Apple Distinguished School highlights the school’s success as an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment.

All Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School educators are Apple Teacher Certified, and they constantly collaborate with each other on the use of technology in the classroom. They also continue to develop and implement new strategies.

Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School students engage with various forms of technology on a daily basis. The school’s 1:1 iPad program allows students to be more engaged and invested in their lessons. The school’s Innovation Lab provides students with access to MacBook Pro notebooks, 3D printers, coding robots, a green screen studio and more. Examples of projects students have completed using Apple technology include:

• Kindergarten STEM learners used iPads to document 3D shapes they built.
• Second graders learned about objects in space and used Keynote to drive their own learning by developing a presentation independently that they then shared with the rest of the school and parent community.
• Third graders worked together to create a Spanish presentation, using Clips and iMovie to assemble their final projects.
• Fifth graders documented their creation of papier-mâché animals in art class using time-lapse. They edited their final project in iMovie, and added an original soundtrack they composed in GarageBand.
• The school’s Gardening Club used Clips to put together a DIY tutorial for a group project.

To learn more about how technology is regularly incorporated into the educational experience at Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School, read the interactive iBook developed by students and staff, or view it as a PDF.